The Haitian bishops denounced the “dehumanizing violence” that has plagued the country since the beginning of 2024 and ask all citizens to “continue walking without becoming discouraged” as witnesses of hope.
The pronouncement took place at the end of its 142nd Ordinary Assembly, in which The bishops referred to the uncontrollable spiral of violence that plagues Haiti, a product of the actions of organized criminal gangs, which control a good part of Port-au-Prince, the capital of the Caribbean country.
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“Many families live in extreme poverty. Added to this is dehumanizing violence. Many people are homeless and hopeless. Older people are left to their own devices, worried and sad about their inability to face such a reality. Young people and children are full of worries about their future and tempted by discouragement. These distressing situations are caused by violence, corruption, cynicism and bad governance,” the Episcopate wrote on December 6.
The prelates said they felt very hurt by the Haitian reality, and expressed that “in the face of all these misfortunes that threaten our country, all actors in society must overcome their divisions and conflicts” to save it.
They directly questioned criminal gangs, encouraging them to “stop these atrocious acts” that do no good. They asked those who “secretly supply weapons and ammunition” to stop “fueling this blind violence that bloodies our society every day.”
The bishops also asked civil authorities to work in favor of the country’s interests and not in favor of their own or those of their parties, control the borders to stop illegal arms trafficking and put an end to the problem of insecurity with effective means. . “Give justice to the numerous victims” and “restore order and peace,” they added.
They also asked the international community to remember its “promises and commitments” to help Haiti emerge from violence and isolation. “The population abandoned to its fate must be able to count on the effective solidarity of other nations,” the bishops stated.
Finally, they addressed the men and women of the Caribbean country, whom they asked to continue walking without becoming discouraged and to be “witnesses of hope” in the midst of their complicated reality. “Every Haitian, every Haitian woman, whatever their condition, has a role to play in the transformation of our country,” they stated.
More than 180 elderly murdered this weekend
At least 184 people were murdered this weekend in Haiti, by members of organized criminal groups, just one day after the pronouncement of the country’s bishops.
According to Reutersthe massacre took place in the Cité Soleil neighborhood, one of the poorest and most dangerous in Haiti. Monel “Mikano” Felix, a gang leader, ordered the killing of people over the age of 60, according to the recommendation of a voodoo priest, who accused the local elders of having killed Felix’s son using witchcraft.
Volker Türk, High Commissioner of the United Nations (UN) for Human Rights, stated that with this new massacre the number of murdered This year in Haiti, criminal violence reached the “alarming sum of 5,000 people.”
The criminals would have used machetes and knives to carry out the massacre, between Friday and Saturday of last week. The tight control of the gangs, which includes the restriction of cell phone use, “has limited the ability of residents to share information about the massacre,” says Reuters.
Andres Henriquez
I have been a writer for ACI Prensa and a correspondent for EWTN since 2023. Since then, I have covered events in the Catholic Church in Venezuela and Latin America. I have more than 5 years of experience in bilingual media. Additionally, in Venezuela I have worked with non-governmental organizations in favor of freedom and respect for human rights in the country. I have been a member of the Regnum Christi Federation since 2014.